TOP 10 5 different but easy modak recipes for Ganesh Chaturthi Special

Wow your guests with these delicious modak preparations. With the 10-day Ganpati festival round the corner, it is time to welcome Lord Ganesha and offer him his favourite modaks.

Modaks (sweet rice flour dumplings filled with coconut and jaggery) or Ukadiche modak, is a ritual sweet dish, specially prepared on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi to offer to Ganpati Bappa. It is later distributed as prasad (sacrament) to everyone after the aarti (a Hindu ceremony in which lights with wicks soaked in ghee are lit and offered up to the deity)

Hatwalaniche Ukadiche Modak is something everyone enjoys during the festival. It is either made at home or purchased from shops.
While the traditional ones are a must-have, today there are interesting variations too, to cater to different taste buds.
Dry fruits, mascarpone cheese, peanut ****er, fruit compote, nutella and salted caramel are some of the ingredients combined to make avant-garde and exotic modaks.
Mini Ribeiro gets five chefs from Mumbai to share unusual modak recipes that can be prepared at home.
Not a huge fan of unusual modaks? Then this recipe is for you!

Make stiff dough with salt and very hot water. Keep aside to rest for an hour.

For filling

Cook the mawa and sugar together in a pan on low flame. Stir continuously, until the sugar dissolves completely.

Add cardamom powder and crumbled motichoor laddo. Mix well.

Once done, remove from heat and set aside to cool it to room temperature.

To assemble

Divide the dough into 24 parts.

Roll each portion into thin circles.

Bring all the sides together and shape it like a pouch.

Steam for 10 minutes.

Place it on a banana leaf. Garnish it with roasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Note: You can make this in the regular shape of modaks or try any other shape as desired.Blueberry and Lemon Coconut ModakIMAGE: Recipe by executive chef Salil Fadnis, Sahara Star, Mumbai.IngredientsFor blueberry filling

200 gm frozen blueberry

500 gm sugar

For lemon coconut filling

150 gm fresh coconut, grated

40 ml lemon juice

25 gm jaggery

A pinch of cardamom power

1 tsp khus khus

A pinch of salt

For dough

250 gm rice flour

200 ml water

A few drops of blue or violet colour

For shrikhand sauce

1 tbsp shrikhand

1 tbsp milk

MethodFor blueberry filling
Cook sugar and frozen blueberry in a heated pan, until sugar is dissolve and and the mixture has thickened.For lemon coconut filling

Lightly roast the khus khus in a pan.

Add coconut and keep cooking on a very low flame.

After a minute, add jaggery.

Allow the jaggery to melt. Once done, cook till the mixture forms into one mass and is dry.

Sprinkle cardamom powder and salt. Mix evenly.

For dough

Take rice flour in a bowl.

Boil water and slowly add it to the bowl of rice flour.

Mix roughly with a wooden spoon.

Cover and keep the bowl aside until the dough cools down to a stage when you can comfortably handle it.

Add the colour and knead to form a soft pliable dough. Cover it.

For shrikhand sauce

Take shrikhand and add milk.

Stir until it turns into a smooth but thick sauce.

To assemble

Apply a few drops of oil to the modak mould.

Make a small ball of the dough. Press against the insides of the mould to completely cover it.

Stuff it with blueberry filling and the lemon coconut filling. Press it in well.

Make another small ball, flatten it with hands and cover the base of the modak and seal.

Steam cook for about 10 minutes.

Serve it with shrikhand sauce.

Watch: First glimpse of Mumbai's renowned 'Lal Baugcha Raja'You can send us your favourite recipes too.Write in to us at getahead@rediff.co.in (subject: Recipe) with your name, hometown and any interesting details about the origin of the recipe, along with a photograph if possible.We'll publish the best preparations right here on Rediff.com and in India Abroad.Lead pic: Kind courtesy kidsstoppress/Instagram